The move threatens to effectively choke off India's supply of cow meat -- angering some states where beef is a delicacy.

Kerala has already vowed to challenge the ruling in court, accusing the national government of pursuing a Hindu nationalist agenda.

A senior BJP leader in Meghalaya also said the ban would not be enforced in the northeast Indian state, while the chief minister of West Bengal declared the ruling "undemocratic", the Press Trust of India reported.

In some parts of India, vigilantes have attacked those suspected to be transporting the animals to abattoirs.

Hindu hardliners on Monday assaulted two meat traders in Maharashtra for alleged possession of beef -- despite it being legal under that state's laws.

The Congress Party, the main opposition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP, swiftly condemned the inflammatory protest in Kerala and suspended those involved.

"What happened in Kerala yesterday is thoughtless, barbaric and completely unacceptable to me and the Congress Party. I strongly condemn the incident," Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi posted on Twitter.

The BJP -- which has agitated for greater protections for cows since Modi won power in 2014 -- seized upon the scandal as the slaughter video went viral.

Cow slaughter ban: Outrage after calf killed in public as part of protest in KeralaDescription:Members of the Youth Congress were filmed slaughtering the animal -- officials refused to say if it was a cow or an ox -- and shouting anti-government slogans in the southern state of Kerala.
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